March 12, 2013

Got a wake-up call from old friend Dan Ellsberg this morning to alert me that an audio tape of Bradley Manning delivering his now-famous statement in court two weeks ago, explaining his actions in leaking documents and a video tape to WikiLeaks—he pleaded guilty to many charges that day but still faces the most serious ones)—had been “leaked.” Got to love that word coming from one legendary whistleblower about another.

Ellsberg said the Today show would be airing it in a few minutes. Well, Dan’s sources, as we know, are usually pretty good, and sure enough, a few brief excerpts were aired early in the show.

Turns out the tape had been recorded illegally in the courtroom and the Freedom of the Press Foundation ended up with it. Here’s the full hour-long recording on their website.

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The quotes used by Today were nothing we hadn’t read, but as the Foundation notes, “While unofficial transcripts of this statement are available, this marks the first time the American public has heard the actual voice of Manning.” Trevor Timm of the Foundation was interviewed briefly on the show, putting Manning in a positive light. Then P. J. Crowley, who lost his job at the State Department after attacking the brutality of Manning’s confinement two years ago, was shown criticizing him for breaking the law in leaking.

See my piece yesterday hitting NYT’s Bill Keller for his very wrong column on Manning’s motivations. See my recent book on Manning with Kevin Gosztola.

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UPDATE: Ellsberg on Democracy Now! today (after we chatted again) slams Keller’s column this week as “ignorant, arrogant, condescending” and as a “smart person” acting “stupid.” (Watch it here.) Also notes that the importance of Manning audio is that now that the Army private has admitted his role in leaking the material, he is free to explain exactly why he did it and put it in ethical and moral context. Ellsberg said he did the same thing in Pentagon Papers case, admitting he did the leak and then being free to explain the need.

Greg Mitchell’s book So Wrong For So Long, on media misconduct and the Iraq war, was published last week in an updated edition and for the first time as an e-book, with preface by Bruce Springsteen.

Bradley Manning is escorted out of a courthouse in February. (Reuters/Jose Luis Magana.)

Got a wake-up call from old friend Dan Ellsberg this morning to alert me that an audio tape of Bradley Manning delivering his now-famous statement in court two weeks ago, explaining his actions in leaking documents and a video tape to WikiLeaks—he pleaded guilty to many charges that day but still faces the most serious ones)—had been “leaked.” Got to love that word coming from one legendary whistleblower about another.

Ellsberg said the Today show would be airing it in a few minutes. Well, Dan’s sources, as we know, are usually pretty good, and sure enough, a few brief excerpts were aired early in the show.

Turns out the tape had been recorded illegally in the courtroom and the Freedom of the Press Foundation ended up with it. Here’s the full hour-long recording on their website.

The quotes used by Today were nothing we hadn’t read, but as the Foundation notes, “While unofficial transcripts of this statement are available, this marks the first time the American public has heard the actual voice of Manning.” Trevor Timm of the Foundation was interviewed briefly on the show, putting Manning in a positive light. Then P. J. Crowley, who lost his job at the State Department after attacking the brutality of Manning’s confinement two years ago, was shown criticizing him for breaking the law in leaking.

See my piece yesterday hitting NYT’s Bill Keller for his very wrong column on Manning’s motivations. See my recent book on Manning with Kevin Gosztola.

UPDATE: Ellsberg on Democracy Now! today (after we chatted again) slams Keller’s column this week as “ignorant, arrogant, condescending” and Keller as a “smart person” acting “stupid.” (Watch it here.) Also notes that the importance of Manning audio is that now that the Army private has admitted his role in leaking the material, he is free to explain exactly why he did it and put it in ethical and moral context. Ellsberg said he did the same thing in Pentagon Papers case, admitting he did the leak and then being free to explain the need.

Greg Mitchell’s book So Wrong For So Long, on media misconduct and the Iraq war, was published last week in an updated edition and for the first time as an e-book, with preface by Bruce Springsteen.

Greg MitchellTwitter Greg Mitchell writes a daily blog for The Nation focusing on media, politics and culture. He is the former editor of Editor & Publisher and author of thirteen books. His latest book, on the 2012 Obama-Romney race, is Tricks, Lies, and Videotape. His other books include Atomic Cover-Up, The Campaign of the Century (winner of the Goldsmith Book Prize), two books related to WikiLeaks and a pair of books with Robert Jay Lifton on Hiroshima and the death penalty in America. His Twitter feed is @GregMitch and he can be reached at: epic1934@aol.com. His personal blog is Pressing Issues.